Dodgers Interested In Damon, Multiple Catchers
The Dodgers have outfielder Johnny Damon on their radar, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. They're also in contact with "virtually every free agent catcher," including Jason Varitek, Rod Barajas, A.J. Pierzynski, and Miguel Olivo. They're trying to hammer out a deal with Russell Martin prior to Thursday's non-tender deadline; the Dodgers will not risk going to arbitration with him.
Martin is at least a week away from running and maybe six weeks away from baseball activities, says Rosenthal. Martin is recovering from an August hip fracture; his agent Matt Colleran gave MLBTR an update last week. Martin would still be at $4MM if the Dodgers cut his salary by the maximum, something Colleran would presumably reject anyway.
As Rosenthal notes, Damon might be an awkward fit for the Dodgers in left field since he logged fewer than 300 outfield innings in 2010. On the other hand, the Dodgers put up with Manny Ramirez in left field for over 1,100 innings across the 2009-10 seasons.
The Dodgers have been aggressive this offseason, committing over $71MM to Ted Lilly, Juan Uribe, Hiroki Kuroda, Jon Garland, and Jay Gibbons.
American League Free Agent Arbitration Offers
10 American League teams have free agent arbitration offer decisions to make, and we'll group them in this post. For a fantastic customizable chart with all 65 Type A/B free agents and their decisions in real-time, click here.
- The Blue Jays offered arbitration to Scott Downs (A) Jason Frasor (A) Kevin Gregg (B) Miguel Olivo (B), according to MLB.com's Gregor Chisolm (on Twitter).
- The Twins offered arbitration to Carl Pavano (A), Jesse Crain (B) and Orlando Hudson (B) and declined to offer arbitration to Matt Guerrier (A), Brian Fuentes (B) and Jon Rauch (B), according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (on Twitter).
- The Rays offered arbitration to Grant Balfour (A), Carl Crawford (A), Rafael Soriano (A), Randy Choate (B), Brad Hawpe (B) and Chad Qualls (B), according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. They did not offer Dan Wheeler (A) or Carlos Pena (B) arbitration. It seems possible that Hawpe has agreed in advance to turn down arbitration.
- The Orioles won't offer arbitration to Koji Uehara (B) or Kevin Millwood (B), according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links).
- The Angels declined to offer Hideki Matsui (B) arbitration, the team announced.
- The Rangers offered arbitration to Cliff Lee (A) and Frank Francisco (A), but not to Vladimir Guerrero (A) and Bengie Molina (A), according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
- The Yankees will offer arbitration to Javier Vazquez (B), but not to any of their other free agents, according to Ken Davidoff of Newsday on Twitter. Andy Pettitte (A), Derek Jeter (A), Mariano Rivera (A), Lance Berkman (B) and Kerry Wood (B) were the team's other ranked free agents. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported that the Yankees would offer Vazquez arbitration and noted that the right-hander has agreed to reject the offer, a common gentleman's agreement that can take place with Type B free agents. Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger first reported on Twitter that the Yankees would not offer Jeter arbitration.
- The Red Sox offered arbitration to Adrian Beltre (A), Victor Martinez (A) and Felipe Lopez (B), but not to Mike Lowell (B) or Jason Varitek (B), according to the team.
- The White Sox offered arbitration to Paul Konerko (A) and J.J. Putz (B), but not to A.J. Pierzynski (A) or Manny Ramirez (A) according to the team (on Twitter).
- As expected, the Tigers announced that they will not offer arbitration to any of their free agents, including Scott Boras clients Magglio Ordonez (A), Johnny Damon (B), and Gerald Laird (B).
Cafardo On Crawford, Lee, Upton, Dodgers
This week's Sunday Baseball Notes piece from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe is packed with juicy hot stove tidbits. According to one of Cafardo's major league sources, the Angels have had "serious talks" with Carl Crawford. The team's front office has been mum on the subject, but they've long been viewed as a strong potential suitor for the speedy outfielder. When five MLBTR writers predicted free agent destinations, all five guessed Crawford would sign with the Halos. Here are some of the other highlights from Cafardo's column:
- "Word is" that the Yankees are currently willing to offer Cliff Lee about $115MM over five years. Cafardo says the Rangers are aiming to match whatever the bidding gets up to, while the Nationals are also still in the hunt. Earlier in the week, Nolan Ryan said he didn't expect Texas to be able to outbid the Yanks for Lee.
- One National League scout said if he had limited trade chips to put toward a big bat, he'd acquire Adrian Gonzalez over Justin Upton. Gonzo is, as the scout notes, currently a "much better hitter," though he's also five years older than Upton and only under contract through 2011.
- While Cafardo adds Kansas City to the list of teams who have "considerable interest" in Upton, we learned Friday that the 23-year-old can block a trade to the Royals.
- The Dodgers would like to add a veteran "who can step up and be vocal when times are tough." Cafardo speculates that A.J. Pierzynski, Juan Uribe, or Johnny Damon could be a good fit.
- The Dodgers are also considering signing a low-cost starter, and haven't ruled out bringing back Vicente Padilla.
- "More and more teams" in need of middle infield help are eyeing Uribe.
- The Nationals and Giants, in addition to the Orioles, have some interest in trading for Jason Bartlett. The Rays are looking for young bullpen help in return.
- Mark Prior, attempting to make it back to the bigs, has three teams waiting on his decision, according to his agent, John Boggs.
- Not all of the clubs who are showing interest in acquiring Marco Scutaro would necessarily use him at shortstop. The Dodgers could have interest in Scutaro as a second baseman, Cafardo says.
Damon Would “Love” To Sign With Yankees
After being informed by the Tigers that they will look elsewhere to find a designated hitter for 2011, Johnny Damon says that he is very open to another stint with the Yankees, according to George A. King of the New York Post.
"I would love to have that as an option," Damon said. "It would be very exciting to go back there."
According to Damon, Detroit told the 36-year-old slugger that they're in search of a "prototypical DH type like Adam Dunn". The veteran was vocal about enjoying his time with the Tigers and even turned down an opportunity to re-join the Red Sox prior to the waiver trade deadline this year.
Damon was unable to turn in a repeat of his 2009 performance for Detroit, hitting .271/.355/.401 with eight homers in 145 games.
Olney On Werth, Damon, Marlins
The playoffs are about to start, but that doesn't mean the rumors ever stop. Here are your latest hot stove notes from ESPN.com’s Buster Olney.
- Jayson Werth may benefit from the anticipated bidding frenzy for Carl Crawford. Teams that miss out on Crawford could go hard after Werth, who’s well-positioned for a big payday no matter what happens with Crawford.
- Some evaluators don’t think Johnny Damon can play full time in the outfield. Olney suggests Oakland or Kansas City could have interest in Damon as a fourth outfielder and part-time DH.
- People in MLB front offices believe that the Marlins aren’t developing quite as much talent as they once did. One talent evaluator suggests the Marlins may have to lock up their current players to remain competitive. Dan Uggla and Ricky Nolasco are both extension candidates, but the Marlins aren’t close to signing either of them.
Tigers Will Not Pick Up Magglio Ordonez’s Option, Have Talked With Inge About Multi-Year Deal
GM Dave Dombrowski announced that the Tigers will not pick up Magglio Ordonez's $15MM club option for 2011, reports Tom Gage of The Detroit News. Dombrowski did say that the team remains open-minded about bringing Ordonez back, however.
Meanwhile, Dombrowski also said the team wants to bring third baseman Brandon Inge back, and confirmed that the two sides have discussed a multi-year deal. Jhonny Peralta is another player they'd like to bring back according to Gage. The Tigers did however inform Johnny Damon and Gerald Laird that they will not be re-signed, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (via Twitter). Dombrowski added that they "most likely" will choose not to pursue Jeremy Bonderman either.
Ordonez's option was likely to vest if not for a season ending-ankle injury in late-July. He hit .303/.378/.474 with more walks (40) than strikeouts (38) in 365 plate appearances before the injury, a nice rebound from a down 2009 campaign. Inge is in the final season of a four-year, $24MM deal, though his .247/.321/.392 batting line is the worst of any full season of his career. Thankfully his defense at the hot corner is strong, with a +10.3 UZR since 2008. A multi-year offer might be too good for Inge to pass up.
Peralta was acquired from the Indians at the trade deadline, and hit .254/.315/.399 in 238 plate appearances for Detroit. He played mostly shortstop after the trade, the most action he's gotten at the position since 2008. The Tigers hold a $7MM club option for his services next season, but they'll likely buy that out for $250K and attempt to negotiate a lower salary.
Damon hit .271/.355/.401 after signing a one-year, $8MM deal last offseason, while Laird mustered just a .218/.289/.313 batting line in his two seasons with Detroit. He's fantastic defensively though, having thrown out 72 of 189 potential base stealers (38.1%) during that time. The 27-year-old Bonderman stayed healthy for the first time since 2007 this year, though he posted a 5.53 ERA in 171 innings. He's just wrapping up a four-year, $38MM deal and will hit free agency for the first time.
Odds & Ends: Hawpe, Kuroda, Angels, Antonetti
Some more links for Tuesday night, including the latest waiver wire news…
- Brad Hawpe is one step closer to signing with another team now that he has cleared waivers, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
- The Dodgers put Hiroki Kuroda on waivers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Kuroda hits free agency after the season, but the Dodgers don't necessarily want to move him. A rival executive guaranteed Rosenthal that the Yankees will be "all over" Kuroda if he reaches them on waivers.
- Rosenthal reports that the Angels placed Brian Fuentes, Juan Rivera, Mike Napoli and Bobby Abreu on waivers (Twitter link). The Angels are presumably curious about the interest their players draw, even if they don't intend on making a trade.
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams told reporters including Paul M. Banks of TheSportsBank that he has to "speak in generalities” about waiver claims. Rosenthal reported earlier today that the White Sox will claim Manny Ramirez if he reaches them on waivers.
- Indians assistant GM Chris Antonetti is taking on more responsibility as he prepares to replace current GM Mark Shapiro after the season, as MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince explains.
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told MLB.com's Jason Beck that the Tigers and Red Sox never agreed on a deal involving Johnny Damon (Twitter link). Damon, who has the final say, said today that he intends to stay in Detroit, even though the Red Sox claimed him on waivers.
- Reds president and CEO Bob Castellini told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that he expects the club to agree to an extension with manager Dusty Baker (Twitter link). The Reds offered Baker a deal last week.
Johnny Damon Says He Will Stay In Detroit
3:20pm: Damon says he's "not going," according to MLB.com's Jason Beck.
2:45pm: Damon spoke to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe on his way to the ballpark today, saying he's still leaning toward staying with the Tigers. However, he would change his mind if the Tigers tell him they plan to reduce his playing time in favor of younger players.
9:05am: Johnny Damon, the Red Sox, and Tigers have until 1:30pm eastern time on Wednesday to decide whether Damon will rejoin his old team, reports WEEI's Alex Speier. The two clubs would have to reach an agreement, and Damon would have to approve it.
Damon was ready to go to the Yankees or Rays, reports Tom Gage of the Detroit News, but the Red Sox had first dibs. MLB Network's Peter Gammons tweets that the Tigers explained to Damon that the Red Sox claimed Damon because they want him, not as a blocking move. Gammons says the Rays did not even make a claim. Damon told reporters last night he's "definitely leaning" toward staying in Detroit, as he'd like to help young Tigers players develop and wants to return in 2011. He left the door open on his decision, as he needs to talk to GM Dave Dombrowski about what would be in the team's best long-term interest.
I think Damon will approve the trade or claim, if the teams can reach an agreement. It can't be measured, but Damon might agree that an extra $1.8MM is better for the Tigers' future than one month of his mentoring. I agree with ESPN's Buster Olney that Damon will be mostly embraced by Red Sox fans. Finally, Damon is a competitive player and Boston's 21% chance of reaching the playoffs sure beats Detroit's 0.36% shot.
Let's hear your prediction: will Damon accept a trade to Boston? Click here to make your pick and here to see the results of the poll.
Red Sox Claim Johnny Damon
9:36pm: Damon repeated after tonight's game that he's leaning toward staying in Detroit, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (Twitter links). Damon's gut and his teammates are telling him to stay in Detroit.
3:45pm: Damon hasn't decided whether he'd accept an assignment to Boston, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck, who notes that the outfielder has about 48 hours to make up his mind (Twitter link).
3:09pm: A no-trade clause does not necessarily give a player the right to prevent his team from handing him over on waivers, according to an MLB Players Association official who spoke to MLBTR this afternoon. In many cases, a player has a non-assignment clause that would prevent trades and waiver claims. However, not all players with no-trade clauses can prevent their teams from handing them over on waivers.
In other words, Damon's ability to prevent the Tigers from handing him to the Red Sox depends on the wording in his contract.
2:51pm: Damon told Ed Price of AOL FanHouse he's not inclined to go back to Boston (Twitter link).
2:28pm: The Red Sox claimed Johnny Damon off waivers from the Tigers, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. The next question is whether the Tigers will work out a trade with the Sox, dump Damon on them for nothing, or pull him back. Damon can veto a trade to the Red Sox. Of Damon's $8MM salary, about $1.8MM remains. Heyman opined earlier today that he believes the Tigers would let Damon go if a deal cannot be worked out.
Damon played for the Red Sox from 2002-05, but had an acrimonious departure and signed with the Yankees. The Red Sox would be getting a diminished version of Damon this time, but he'd still be useful with Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury currently on the disabled list. The Sox may have made the Damon claim to block the Rays or Yankees, but they know it is possible they end up with the player.
Damon, 36, predictably saw his power slip with the switch from Yankee Stadium to Comerica Park. He's hitting .270/.355/.409 on the season and has logged only 268 innings in the outfield. He profiles as a Type B free agent after the season, but an arbitration offer seems unlikely.
Will Johnny Damon Be Claimed?
Tigers left fielder and designated hitter Johnny Damon was placed on waivers on Thursday, so the window to make a claim closes Monday. Damon explained the situation to MLB.com's Jason Beck on Friday:
"I know they would probably like to keep me, but if this is a way they can possibly save a little bit of money this year and get a prospect, then that's something they have to do."
Damon's open attitude implies that he might not block a trade, even though he hopes to re-sign with the Tigers. Of his $8MM salary, about $1.8MM remains. Damon, 36, predictably saw his power slip with the switch from Yankee Stadium to Comerica Park. He's hitting .270/.355/.409 on the season and has logged only 268 innings in the outfield.
Damon hasn't been great, but we've seen varying returns in August moves. Jim Edmonds and Derrek Lee brought useful players back, while Cody Ross and Jose Guillen did not. Damon profiles as a Type B free agent, but I can't envision the Tigers offering arbitration. The Tigers could dump Damon's contract on a claiming club, or eat some money and try to get a useful player back.
Six American League contenders remain: the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Twins, White Sox, and Rangers. Lance Berkman's ankle injury frees up the Yankees' DH spot; would they bring Damon back given the offseason drama? The Rays and Red Sox could block the Yanks, and both clubs could use him. Damon back in the AL East would be an intriguing storyline. The Rangers, with Nelson Cruz out, could consider Damon. The White Sox might be content to use Mark Kotsay and Mark Teahen at DH, while the Twins don't look like a fit.
In the National League I think we can safely cross off the Giants as a Damon possibility, leaving the Braves, Phillies, Reds, Cardinals, and Padres as remaining contenders. Would the Braves want Damon in the left field picture? The Reds probably wouldn't add Damon after getting Edmonds. The Cardinals sent Ryan Ludwick to the Padres, though the Friars could still find room after losing Tony Gwynn. The Phillies don't seem to have a need for Damon.
The American League certainly seems a better fit for Damon. Hopefully we'll find out today whether any teams risked claims.